Quick bites with:
Steve Edwards, Restaurant Director/Sommelier, Araxi
PQ: What’s your food/wine philosophy?
SE: I am enthralled by gastronomy. I find that the magic of
food and wine is incredible. When you find the perfect match between food and
wine both are enhanced in a way that is hard to describe and unique to each
individual.
PQ: Weirdest thing you’ve eaten?
SE: I think that’s subject to opinion. In my opinion if someone
is bold enough to put it on a menu then I’ll definitely give it a try: beaver, tripe,
ox tail, buffalo tongue.
PQ: Most memorable meal you’ve ever eaten?
SE: We were at a restaurant, Alan Wong’s in Honolulu. We had a
five-course tasting menu. The food and service was spot on!
PQ: Exact moment you decided to become involved in the food and
beverage industry?
SE: I fell into the food and beverage industry. I came out to
B.C. to snowboard because I was sponsored. I started part-time work as a server
and got interested in wine.
PQ: Most memorable meal you have ever served?
SE: This year’s Cornucopia Big Guns Dinner. It was my first big
event in Whistler.
PQ: Most interesting environment you’ve ever worked in?
SE: I did a really cool event at the The Art Gallery in
Vancouver. They had music to match the wine for bankers.
PQ: What’s your solution for a last minute meal?
SE: The Grocery Store. We go and pick out some meat that is
easy to cook and make a simple meal with vegetables.
PQ: Do you have a Pemberton Valley seasonal meal using local
produce?
SE: The Feast of Fields: Araxi’s partakes in the summer time
celebration in Pemberton.
PQ: How would you describe what it is to be a sommelier?
SE: My goal is to bring the best experience to the guests at
the table.
PQ: Where would you go to eat, if you could go anywhere in the
world?
SE: El Bulli in Spain.
PQ: Who has been the most influential person on your
cooking/career?
SE: My girlfriend Tracy. She has always supported me.
PQ: What would you advise anyone wanting to get into this
industry?
SE: I would say that you’ve got to have a passion for it. Food, wine, service, ambiance. An eye for detail.